National 10 (Spotlight Weekly)

Nepal is Gasping for Air--Let her Breathe

-- Dr. Tulsi Uprety, Tucson, Arizona, United States

Nepali Aama has been gasping for air and telling us,” please let me breathe. I can no longer watch this scene of killing fields and bear the pain of my own children being used and engaged in killing each other. I am about to collapse, I am about to die although I want to live little longer for the sake of my children. Please help!” It is a cry of Today’s Nepal and it is the reality of Today’s Nepal. It really has been a country of killing fields and one should not expect anything better than this simply because of the environment in which it has to live through created by vested interest groups who have been quite successful in bringing Nepal to this condition. It would be foolish to expect any better results if a country is being used, abused and raped during a broad day light by many kinds and types of visible and invisible hands who have been guided by their hidden agenda and interests.

Over the past few years, Nepal has been suffocating and pushed onto its deathbed by both visible as well as invisible hands. Obviously, visible hands can be seen as those so-called “leaders” who claim themselves to represent the people of Nepal, and yet openly have been engaged in corrupt and unethical behavior. Examples of these corrupt, so-called “leaders” include most of the politicians and government officials who occupy and control seats of power. Another example of the corruption spreading throughout Nepal are the “Maoists” who are leveled as “Terrorists” as well. The invisible hands appear mysterious and function under and behind the shadow of the visible hands. Invisible hands portray themselves as the well-wishers, friends and saviors of this war torn country and at the same time, pushing their own agenda and interest. By operating behind the pretence of well wishing friend they place their selfish self-interest above the interests of the people of Nepal and these individuals/organizations are also equally responsible for putting Nepal onto its death bed. Thus, vastly uneducated, poor, innocent, honest and peaceful Nepalese people have become the victims of the self-interests and hidden agendas of both visible and invisible hands.

Nepal is the victim of possessing natural resources, positioned between two giants, which have over one billion people each. Nepal is a victim of being a beautiful country and its location. Nepal is a victim of being the only Hindu country on earth. Nepal is a victim of not having a leader who carries the interests of the Nepalese people. Nepal is a victim of being a poor as well as a peaceful country. Nepal is being a victim for being the homeland of the brave Gorkhas.

Nepal has the potential to be the most prosperous country in South Asia, but its richness in resources has turned into a curse against the country and its people. There are lot of so-called “friends” who would love to get their invisible hands on these valuable resources, at free of cost if they can. They will not get these resources for free if they have to deal with a legitimate government, therefore they would much rather destroy the government and its systems by encouraging, sheltering, providing background support, and arming known terrorists seeking to destroy the government and ultimately bring the country to its knee, while greatly enriching their supporters.

Moreover, these so called well-wishing “friends” have been using all available means, including political party leaders, the royal palace, Maoist terrorists, profit and nonprofit organizations, and groups who think that they will be successful in their goal of establishing non-Hindu by destroying Hindu religion and belief to fulfill their economic goals by destroying the existing political, governmental, religious and social systems of the country. It is a well established fact that our well-wishing “friends” help and support party leaders while simultaneously arming, sheltering and supporting Maoist terrorists. At the same time, they do not fail to show their good face to the Royal Palace and keep them on their toes. Furthermore, profit and nonprofit organizations function according to the interest of our good “friends”. The question we should all be asking is who is thinking of the interests of the Nepalese people, their security, peace, law and order, and the sovereignty of Nepal? Our well-wisher “friends” who would hold themselves up as the answer to this question, simply by stating that because they are our ”friends” and that they are always working for the sake of the Poor Nepalese People, without pursuing any self-interests of their own.

Nepal is overcrowded by human rights organizations and international non government organizations (INGOs) which have been engaged to improve the economic conditions of poor Nepalese people and to protect their rights. They claim that they have been serving Nepalese interests, rather than serving their own interests. They must be kidding, but at the same time we are agreeing with them. One should ask those INGOs, which are engaged in converting poor, disadvantaged and innocent people into various types of Christianity what their true motives are. It is so cynical and unethical to convert Chepangs into a new religion by giving a tablet of Citamol while they are sick as the “gift of God”. One can check out this fact simply going to Devitar, Maiserang and the surrounding villages located in the Bara District, where largely Chepang and Tamang people live.

The real interest of some of the INGOs, which they seek to keep hidden from the Nepalese people, is to destroy the existing social, cultural and religious orders and practices of Nepal and create social and economic tension among various ethnic and religious groups. Obviously, they also have an invisible motive to support the Maoist terrorists for creating religious disorder in Nepal and expanding their hidden agenda and self-interests in the name of friendship. Such “friends” are working to transform Nepalese society by discrediting and giving a black eye to those INGOs, which do serve the genuine interest of the Nepalese people. The Maoists who advocate eliminating the Hindu religion are simply carrying out the interests of our well-wishing “friends”.

Examples of our so-called “friends” include some of those political leaders who represent some of the territories surrounding the Nepalese border. In the name of Nepalese friendship, they fulfill their political and financial interests by sheltering and helping Maoist terrorists in exchange for the money they get from the Maoists, who obtain this money by looting and extorting the Nepalese people. Obviously, for a number of years, the Maoists have been looting and extorting Nepalese banks, financial institutions, businesses and individuals, and taking the money to neighboring countries and spreading it among various interest groups. The Maoists have been using part of that money to buy their shelter and security by paying the foreign political leaders of the surrounding areas. Arms dealers have been mushrooming in surrounding states and making money by selling arms to the Maoists. Often it is pretended that our friendly neighbors do not even know the above facts. If they do not, they are simply closing their eyes or they are in deep sleep with good wishes towards Nepal. It is unthinkable to imagine a Nepali looting his own family members and using that money to buy arms from foreign thugs, and in turn use those arms for killing the very family members who were the victims of looting.

It is so transparent and obvious that our present so-called “leaders” have simply failed the people of Nepal. Their motives, intentions and actions are muddled with self-interest. Most of the existing present party leaders are not the answer for the Nepalese problems, nor are the Maoists answer for the Nepalese people. Similarly, foreign “friends” are not the answer for the Nepalese people. The King certainly cannot and should not be the answer for the Nepalese people. The only answer which can solve the Nepalese political, economic and social problems and restore the nation of Nepal is the Nepalese people themselves. Before it is too late, the Nepalese people themselves must rise up to choose a new set of leaders who serve the Nepalese people and their interests, instead of indulging in self-interest. Today, all Nepalese must remember that just like there is only one biological mother, there is also only one motherland. There is no bigger crime other than killing your own mother and in the process, destroying your motherland. Let Sikkim enjoy by being the State of India, but Nepal is Nepal, which is sovereign and it will remain sovereign. However, all the political players must realize that they would not exist if Nepal does not exist, therefore it might be wise to save Nepal instead of engaging in to finish it off. We are hearing and feeling the heavy breathing of Nepali Aama from faraway land and all we ask our leaders is, "LET US NOT ENGAGE IN KILLLING OUR OWN MOTHER, NEPAL”